mean

To lament.

To intend.

To convey (a meaning).

To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).

“Does she really mean what she said to him last night?”

To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).

“One faltering step means certain death.”

(usually with to) To be of some level of importance.

“Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.”

Common; general.

Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

“a man of mean parentage / a mean abode”

Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

“a mean appearance / mean dress”

Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.

“a mean motive”

Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.

Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

“He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.”

Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating

Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.

“It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just had to get uptown and he had no cash of his own.”

Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another

“Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.”

Powerful; fierce; strong

“It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.”

Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

“He hits a mean backhand.”

Difficult, tricky.

“This problem is mean!”

(now chiefly in the plural) A method or course of action used to achieve some result.

(in the singular) An intermediate step or intermediate steps.

Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.

The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.

The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.

Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.

Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.

Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.